mm 


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LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


FRUIT  CULTURE. 


;OUR  ORANGE  STOCK;  FERTILIZING  AND  METHODS  OF 

COMPOUNDING  FERTILIZERS;  INJURIOUS  INSECT 

PESTS;  PARASITES;  AND  OBSERVATIONS. 


By  B.  M.  LELONG, 
Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture. 


EX    OFFICIO    HORTICULTURAL    OFFICER. 


SACRAMENTO: 

STATE  OFFICE,   :::::::  J.  D.  young,  supt.  state  printing. 

1890.  ^ 


I 


^K— »^^ 


UI 


FRUIT  CULTURE. 


SOUR  ORANGE  STOCK;  FERTILIZING  AND  METHODS  OF 

COMPOUNDING  FERTILIZERS;  INJURIOUS  INSECT 

PESTS;  PARASITES;  AND  OBSERVATIONS. 


By  B.  M.  LELONG, 
Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture. 


EX    OFFICIO    HORTICULTURAL    OFFICER. 


SACRAMENTO: 

STATE  OFFICE,  :   :   :   I   :   I   :  J.  D.  young,  supt.  state  printing. 

1890. 
J  r  u  u  A  u  \/ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/fruitculturesourOOcalirich 


PEEFATOET. 


San  Francisco,  Cal.,  June  10,  1890. 

During  a  leave  of  absence  allotted  to  me  at  the  last  meeting  of  the 
State  Board  of  Horticulture,  I  visited  several  of  the  Eastern  and  South- 
ern States  in  search  of  information  in  relation  to  the  fruit  industry. 
This  investigation,  however,  was  done  without  expense  to  the  State. 

I  left  San  Francisco  early  in  April,  and  visited  all  the  largest  fruit- 
growing districts.  I  also  appeared  before  various  committees  in  Congress, 
at  Washington,  and  laid  before  them  all  matters  therewith  intrusted  to 
my  care.  I  hope  that  the  best  of  results  shall  be  the  outcome  of  this 
mission. 

B.  M.  L. 


FRUIT  CULTURE, 


FRUIT  PROSPECTS  IN  THE  EASTERN  STATES.-FERTILIZATION  AND  HOW 
TO  COMPOUND  FERTILIZERS.— FLORIDA  SOUR  ORANGE  STOCK.-INJU- 
RIOUS  INSECT  PESTS.— PARASITES  AND  BENEFICIAL  INSECTS.— THEIR 
INTRODUCTION  INTO  THE  STATE.-OBSERVATIONS  AND  RECOMMEN- 
DATIONS. 


FRUIT   PROSPECTS   IN    THE    EASTERN  AND   SOUTHERN 

STATES. 

I  visited  all  the  largest  fruit  districts  of  Maryland,  Delaware,  and 
New  Jersey,  and  found  that  the  peach  crop  for  this  year  will  be  almost 
an  entire  failure,  owing  to  the  heavy  March  frosts,  which  destroyed  the 
crops.  What  fruit  was  not  destroyed  is  much  below  the  average  in 
quality.  This  has  been  a  very  heavy  loss  to  the  eastern  peach  growers, 
and  has  driven  many  of  them  out  of  the  business.  The  trees  will  have 
to  be  cultivated  for  a  year  without  any  production  or  profit,  and  the 
cultivation  is  very  expensive,  as  commercial  fertilizers  have  to  be  applied 
even  for  the  growth  of  wood.  A  crop  cannot  be  grown  without  fertilizers, 
nor  can  the  trees  produce  fruit  buds  for  the  coming  year  without  it. 
There  is  practically  no  peach  crop  in  the  East  anywhere,  and  it  will  be 
difficult  to  supply  the  demand  of  the  markets  with  California  fruit  this 
year. 

The  cherry  orchards  in  many  districts  were  full  of  fruit,  but  the  cur- 
culio  had  stung  nearly  every  fruit,  and,  in  fact,  it  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty that  any  cherries  were  found  that  did  not  contain  from  two  to 
eight  holes  in  them.  These  holes  are  of  a  crescent  shape,  the  work  of 
the  curculio  beetle. 

The  plum  crop  is  also  damaged  by  the  curculio,  and,  in  fact,  very 
little  effort  is  made,  on  this  account,  in  their  culture.  The  apricot  is 
not  grown  for  the  reason  that  the  fruit  is  also  destroyed  by  the  curculio, 
and  the  climate  is  not  suitable  for  its  growth.  The  pear  and  apple  crops 
will  be  large;  still  about  25  per  cent  will  be  lost  by  the  ravages  of  the 
codlin  moth. 

This  State  is  the  only  place  from  which  anything  like  an  adequate 
supply  of  green  and  dried  fruits  can  be  obtained  this  year. 

The  orange  orchards  throughout  the  State  of  Florida  were  damaged 
to  a  great  extent  by  the  heavy  frosts  in  March.  They  have  also  suffered 
by  droughts,  having  had  a  very  dry  winter.  The  rainy  season  does  not 
begin  there  until  May,  and  continues  through  the  summer. 

Although  the  trees  have  suffered  considerably,  the  fruit  crop  of  Florida 
will  be  fair,  as  in  many  places  the  frost  did  little  or  no  damage.  These 
places  were  mostly  where  the  trees  were  irrigated.  Water  is  pumped 
from  the  lakes  for  this  purpose. 


SOUR  ORANGE  STOCK. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  the  sour  orange  tree  that  are  used  in 
many  parts  of  the  country  as  stock  for  budding  purposes.  In  Florida 
the  "  sour  orange,"  or  "  wild  orange,"  grows  in  the  swamps,  and  is  best 
adapted  to  those  low,  wet  lands,  as  in  such  lands  the  sweet  orange  stock 
does  not  live.  For  this  reason  this  stock  is  mostly  planted.  In  Florida 
the  sweet  orange  stock  is  subject  to  "foot  rot,"  a  disease  similar  to  the 
"gum  disease  "  prevalent  in  our  State,  especially  in  orchards  planted  on 
heavy  soil;  these,  however,  are  very  limited.  The  "Hammock"  lands 
are  planted  with  the  orange  and  the  lemon.  These  so  called  "  Hammock  " 
lands  are  low,  wet  soils,  and  are  always  moist.  If  the  sweet  orange  stock 
be  planted  in  such  soils  it  certainly  cannot  live,  such  conditions  being  en- 
tirely unfavorable  to  its  culture.  The  sweet  orange  stock  requires  good 
soil  and  high,  dry  elevation,  while  the  sour  stock  requires  moist  soil, 
which  is  only  found  in  these  "Hammock"  or  low  lands.  The  land 
called  "pine  land"  is  of  higher  elevation  and  dry.  The  pines  are 
grubbed  out  and  in  their  place  orange  trees  are  planted.  This  is  what  is 
there  termed  "  high  pine  land,"  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Hammock  or 
low,  wet  lands. 

From  observations,  I  find  that  the  stock  does  influence  the  bud  to 
some  extent;  this,  however,  is  very  slight,  and  is  only  noticed  by  experts. 
One  of  the  greatest  objections  to  this  sour  stock  in  those  swamps  is  that 
it  throws  up  suckers  very  freely,  and  as  they  have  to  be  removed  con- 
tinually, in  time  the  body  of  the  tree  presents  a  curious  phenomenon; 
instead  of  being  smooth,  it  is  very  deeply  ribbed,  and  the  protuberances 
at  the  base  swell  to  immense  proportions.  This,  however,  is  somewhat 
avoided  by  careful  trimming.  Trees  planted  on  high  land,  however,  do 
not  act  thus,  and  especially  where  they  are  properly  attended  to. 

That  this  stock  is  very  hardy  cannot  be  denied,  but  whether  it  will 
thrive  in  our  dry  soils,  under  entirely  different  conditions,  only  time 
can  tell.  The  orange  groves  of  California  are  not  planted  on  low,  wet 
lands  (we  have  no  such  lands),  but  on  the  contrary,  are  planted  on  dry 
soil,  which  is  irrigated  through  the  summer.  In  Florida  it  rains  through 
the  summer  months,  and  the  winters  are  generally  dry.  In  California 
w^e  have  generally  no  rains  throughout  the  summer,  and  the  winters  are 
mostly  wet,  this  being  our  rainy  season.  If  irrigation  shall  take  the 
place  of  rain,  and  the  trees  thus  become  acclimated,  time  only  can  deter- 
mine. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  there  is  a  scarcity  of  orange  stock,  but 
growers  can  well  afford  to  wait  until  the  value  of  this  stock  is  proven 
beyond  a  doubt,  lest  they  may  make  a  mistake  that  will  require  several 
years  to  rectify  and  at  great  expense.  If  the  stock  is  really  desired 
for  orchard  purposes,  why  not  import  the  seed  and  not  the  tree?  The 
seed,  from  the  time  of  germination,  would  be  grown  in  our  own  climate 
and  soil  and  would  receive  different  treatment,  and  would  certainly  be 
better  adapted  to  the  locality  where  the  tree  is  to  be  grown.  There  could 
then  be  no  risk,  at  least  in  introducing  injurious  insect  pests,  as  is  the 
case  where  the  trees  are  imported.* 

Perhaps  the  first  orchard  planted  in  this  State,  budded  on  this  sour 
stock,  was  that  planted  at  Orange  by  D.  C.  Hay  ward,  some  ten  or  fifteen 

*  Nurserymen  are  now  planting  the  sour  orange  seed,  and  very  soon  plenty  of  home 
grown  stock  can  be  obtained.  Some  Riverside  nurserymen  have  already  considerable 
young  nursery  stock. 


years  ago.  At  the  Fruit  Growers'  Convention,  held  at  Los  Angeles  in 
March,  1890,  this  orchard  was  reported  to  have  died  out.  I  shall  soon 
investigate,  in  person,  whether  there  is  any  foundation  for  the  statements 
made,  and  this  matter  will  be  the  subject  for  a  subsequent  bulletin. 


FRUIT  PESTS. 

INJUKIOUS    INSECT    PESTS.— GREAT    DANGER  OF    THEIR    INTRODUCTION 
INTO  THE  STATE,  WITH  NOTES  ON  THE  SAME. 

There  is  great  danger  of  introducing  various  kinds  of  injurious  insect 
pests  on  imported  trees,  and  the  greatest  care  should  be  exercised  in  that 
direction.  When  trees  or  plants  are  received  from  a  district,  whether 
it  be  known  to  be  free  from  insect  pests  or  not,  they  should  be  disin- 
fected and  thereby  avoid  the  danger  of  introducing  any  new  pests  that 
may  pass  unnoticed. 

In  order  to  aid  in  identifying  insects  liable  to  be  on  imported  trees,  I 
give  herewith  a  short  description  of  each,  together  with  the  accompa- 
nying illustrations: 

PURPLE    SCALE. 


Mytilaspis  citricola,  Packard. 


[A  purple  scale  generally  found  throughout  the  State  of  Florida.  It  resembles  Myti- 
laspis pomorum  (oyster-shell  scale),  which  is  common  in  many  places  on  old  apple  trees. 
In  Florida  it  is  a  very  troublesome  pest.  (I)  Twig  and  leaf  infested  by  the  scale,  (a) 
Scale  of  female  from  above.  (6)  Same  from  below,  showing  eggs,  (c)  Scale  of  male.  All 
highly  magnified.] 

The  purple  scale  (Mytilaspis  citricola)  is  one  of  the  most  common 
species  of  scale  insects  found  on  citrus  trees  throughout  the  State  of 
Florida.     It  was  imported  into  Florida  (Jacksonville),  in  1855,  on  some 


lemons  sent  from  Bermuda.  Mr.  Glover,  in  mentioning  the  introduc- 
tion of  this  insect,  said:  "  Another  coccus  was  imported  into  Jacksonville, 
Florida,  on  some  lemons  sent  from  Bermuda,  and  as  they  may  perhaps 
spread  in  the  vicinity,  it  would  be  well  to  draw  attention  to  the  insect."* 

Since  that  time  it  has  spread  over  many  of  the  largest  fruit  districts, 
and  is  very  injurious  to  the  tree  and  fruit,  but  is  most  damaging  to  the 
fruit,  covering  the  surface  thickly,  in  instances  almost  hiding  the  rind 
from  view. 

Description. — The  length  of  the  full  grown  female  scale  is  rather  more 
than  one  twentieth  of  an  inch;  it  is  somewhat  pear  shaped,  and  of  a 
brown  color;  the  grub  is  of  a  reddish  yellow,  and  furnished  with  a 
piercer  from  its  breast.  The  young  have  two  antennae,  six  legs,  and 
two  long  hairs  or  bristles  at  the  end  of  the  body.  The  male  scale  is 
not  so  large  as  the  female,  and  is  formed  of  a  white  cottony  or  parch- 
ment-looking substance,  constituting  a  case,  with  an  elevated  and 
rounded  ridge  in  the  center,  in  which  a  reddish  pupa  was  found.  The 
male  larva  is  reddish  in  color,  and  measures  not  more  than  one  fortieth 
of  an  inch  in  length.  The  perfect  fly  is  also  red,  and  is  furnished  with 
two  hairy  antennae,  six  legs,  and  has  the  thorax  very  large.  The  two 
wings  are  transparent,  and  the  end  of  the  body  is  furnished  with  a 
curved,  hard  projection. — Glover. 

LONG   OR   glover's    SCALE. 


Mytilaspis  gloverii,  Packard. 


[A  light  yellow  scale,  varying  to  dark  brown;  resembles  Mytilaspis  citricola,  but  is 
much  larger.  (II)  Branch  infested  by  the  scale,  natural  size,  (a)  Enlarged,  (b)  Scale  of 
male,  enlarged,    (c)  Female  scale  and  eggs,  enlarged.] 

*  Report  by  Townsend  Glover,  Patent  Oflace,  Washington,  D.  C,  1855,  page  119. 


—  9  — 

This,  like  the  preceding  one,  is  a  very  common  species  on  citrus  trees 
in  Florida.  It  infests  the  leaves  and  the  bark  of  the  trees,  and  is  usu- 
ally associated  with  the  purple  scale  {Mytilaspis  citricola).  This  species 
is  said  to  have  been  introduced  into  Florida  about  forty  years  ago,  on 
some  trees  purchased  of  a  ship  in  New  York  from  China,  and  from  those 
trees  the  scale  has  spread. 

Description. — The  body  of  the  female  is  light  purple  in  color.  The 
scale  differs  from  that  of  Mytilaspis  citricola,  in  being  much  narrower; 
is  light  yellow,  and  varying  to  dark  brown.  The  eggs  are  white  when 
first  laid,  but  become  tinged  with  purple  before  hatching,  and  are 
arranged  in  regular  rows.  The  young  larvae  are  purplish,  the  front  of 
the  head  and  the  margin  of  the  body  light  yellow. 


BARNACLE    SCALE. 

Ceroplastes  cirripediformis,  Comstock. 


III. 


[A  small  barnacle-like  scale, 
(a)  Female,  enlarged.] 


Figure  III  represents  a  branch  infested  with  the  scales. 


This  insect  is  not  often  met  with,  neither  is  it  a  very  troublesome  pest 
It  is  not  a  common  species,  and  is  only  found  in  patches.  I  found  this 
scale  on  soft  wooded  plants  in  gardens  and  parks,  and  only  saw  it  on  a 
few  orange  trees.  An  Inspector  in  Los  Angeles,  however,  showed  me  a 
number  of  specimens  which  he  had  taken  from  orange  trees  imported 
into  that  county  from  Florida. 


—  10  — 

FLORIDA   WAX    SCALE. 

Ceroplastes  floridensis,  Comstock. 


[A  white  scale  which  appears  in  and  throughout  Florida.  Has  not  yet  made  its  appear- 
ance in  this  State,  and  care  should  be  exercised  to  prevent  its  introduction;  and  in  order 
that  parties  importing  trees  or  plants  may  be  able  to  identify  it,  this  description  and  illus- 
tration is  given.  Figure  IV  represents  a  branch  infested  with  the  scale.  {,a)  Young 
female.    (6)  Adult  female,  enlarged.] 

This  scale  is  a  very  common  species,  and  is  found  on  wild  plants 
mostly.  The  development  of  this  scale  is  quite  rapid.  This  insect  is 
no  doubt  indigenous  to  that  State.  The  trees  attacked  by  it  do  not  suf- 
fer as  they  do  by  other  scales,  such  as  the  Aspidiotus  and  Lecaniums. 


[(a)  Scale  of  female 
enlarged.    (&)    Scale 


of 


male,  enlarged. 


CHAFF    SCALE. 

Parlatoria  pergandii,  Comstock. 

This  is  perhaps  the  most  common  species  of  scale 
found  throughout  the  State  of  Florida.  It  is  mostly 
found  on  the  trunks  and  on  the  large  limbs  of  the 
trees,  covering  them  thickly,  and  is  but  seldom  seen 
on  the  leaves  and  fruit.  This  is  a  light  colored 
scale,  and  is  more  or  less  circular.  When  an  insect 
does  settle  on  the  fruit  it  occupies  a  pit-like  depres- 
sion in  the  rind.  The  scale  is  so  near  the  color  of 
the  bark  of  the  trunk  and  large  branches  that  it  is 
liable  to  escape  unnoticed. 


11 


FLORIDA    RED    SCALE.* 

Aspidiotus  ficus,  Ashmeacl. 


[A  red  scale  which  infests  citrus  trees  in  Florida,  settling  on  the  young  wood,  leaves, 
and  fruit.  (VI)  Leaves  infested  by  the  scales,  (a)  The  female  scaled  enlarged.  (6)  The 
male  scale,  enlarged.] 

This  scale  resembles  the  red  scale  of  California  in  form  and  general 
appearance,  but  the  scale  is  not  red,  as  the  name  implies.  The  color  of 
the  scale  is  of  a  dark  chocolate  color,  but  the  discoloration  of  the  leaves 
is  similar  and  therefore  liable  to  be  pronounced  the  same.  This  scale  is 
not  widely  spread  throughout  that  State  and  is  only  found  in  very  small 
patches.  The  insect  is  not  as  damaging  as  the  red  scale  of  California; 
at  least  the  trees  do  not  suffer  as  much.  The  insects  do  not,  as  a  rule, 
settle  on  the  wood,  but  are  only  to  be  found  on  very  young  and  ten- 
der wood;  they  prefer  to  settle  on  the  leaves  and  on  the  fruit.  This 
scale  insect  was  introduced  into  Florida  from  Havana,  Cuba,  in  1874, 
on  a  sour  orange  tree,  and  since  that  time  it  has  spread  into  various 
orange  groves.  It  had  been  reported  that  this  scale  had  been  extermi- 
nated by  a  parasite,  and  also  other  statements  have  been  made  "  that 
its  disappearance  was  due  to  climatic  influences."  Upon  investigation 
I  found  that  there  was  no  proper  foundation  for  either  statement, 
although  the  insect  is  not  found  to  be  as  numerous  as  in  the  past  few 
years.  The  cause  of  its  partial  disappearance  was  carefully  looked  into, 
and  after  careful  investigation,  and  also  from  the  observations  made 
there  by  practical  growers,  I  found  that  its  decrease  is  entirely  due  to 
the  excessive  rains  that  fall  in  the  summer  during  their  breeding  sea- 
son, and  also  the  trees  have  outgrown  and  thrown  oft"  considerable  of  the 
scale  by  the  application  of  chemical  fertilizers  which  are  applied  there 
very  freely.  I  examined  a  grove  in  Orlando,  Florida,  that  at  one  tinae 
had  been  reported  as  dying  and  worthless,  due  to  the  ravages  of  this 

*  [Note.— In  Louisiana  this  scale  attacks  the  banana  plants,  and  the  leaves  turn  yellow 
and  present  a  sickly  appearance.  It  was  also  found  upon  several  varieties  of  palm  and 
upon  the  India  rubber  tree  (Ficus  macrophylta).  In  the  Botanical  Gardens  at  Washing- 
ton, this  scale  is  found  upon  several  species  of  Ficus.] 


—  12  — 

scale.  The  owner  assured  me,  that  after  doing  everything  that  it  was 
possible  to  do  with  remedies,  and  making  but  little  headway,  he  con- 
cluded to  treat  the  trees  at  the  root;  that  if  in  this  he  did  not  succeed  he 
would  go  out  of  the  business.  He  treated  his  trees  for  three  years  with 
chemical  fertilizers,  and  a  marked  effect  was  seen  the  year  following  the 
first  application.  After  the  third  year  he  could  find  but  very  few  scale. 
He  continued  to  fertilize,  and  the  result  has  been  indeed  wonderful.  It 
is  now  very  difficult  to  find  a  live  scale  anywhere  in  his  orchard. 
Many  of  the  trees  yet  bear  the  mark  of  the  scale  that  once  infested  the 
leaves.  The  trees  that  were  once  condemned  and  declared  to  be  worth- 
less are  there  to-day,  bearing  as  much  and  as  fine  fruit  as  any  other 
trees  that  were  never  aftected.  The  owner  not  being  a  wealthy  grower — 
although  in  respectable  circumstances — manufactured  his  own  fertilizers, 
avoiding  always  the  too  free  use  of  ammonia  (after  the  first  year),  as 
this  causes  the  trees  to  go  mostly  to  wood  and  leaf  growth  instead  of 
producing  fruit. 

RUST    MITE. 


Typhlodromus  oleivorus,  Ashmead. 


VII. 

[  (a)  Dorsal  vein.    (6)  Lateral  view,  enlarged, 
circle  represents  natural  size.] 


(c)  Egg,  enlarged ;  dot  in  the  center  of 


This  is  a  very  dangerous  pest,  and  one  that  is  difficult  to  exterminate. 
This  rust  mite  attacks  indiscriminately  the  various  species  of  the  citrus 
in  common  cultivation,  but  has  not  been  observed  to  feed  upon  plants  of 
any  other  genus.  It  is  found  upon  the  lime,  lemon,  citron,  shaddock, 
bigarde,  and  tangerine;  and  none  of  the  varieties  of  the  orange  are  known 
to  be  in  any  degree  exempt. — Hubbard. 

The  foliage  of  the  trees  attacked  by  it  present  a  dry,  dusty,  and  yellow- 
ish appearance.  This  mite  attacks  the  fruit  when  young,  and  retards 
its  growth,  and  when  ripe  has  the  appearance  of  russet  apples.  This 
mite  was  first  found  on  the  wild  or  sour  orange  trees  of  Florida,  and 
from  those  it  spread  to  the  orchards,  the  trees  having  been  transported 
for  cultivation  from  their  native  swamps.  The  mites  feed  upon  the  fruit 
and  leaves  in  droves  of  many  thousands,  attacking  the  former  as  rapidly 


—  13  — 

as  they  fully  mature,  and  the  latter  soon  after  its  formation,  but  mostly 
after  it  has  fully  developed. 

This  is  a  microscopical  insect,  and  is  not  seen  with  the  naked  eye.  If 
a  leaf  or  fruit  be  picked  for  examination,  mites  will  seldom  be  found  on 
them,  as  all  fly  away  instantly  upon  being  disturbed.  The  glass  must 
be  placed  before  the  object  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  disturb  them  while 
engaged  in  feeding  upon  the  leaf  or  fruit. 


NOTES   UPON   THE   RED   SCALE   OF   CALIFORNIA. 

There  are  two  red  scale  insects  in  this  State  which  confine  their  attacks 
to  citrus  trees.  Prior  to  1880  Professor  Comstock  visited  this  State  and 
carried  on  a  series  of  experiments  upon  the  red  scale  in  Los  Angeles. 
The  scale  upon  which  he  conducted  his  experiments  he  identified  as  the 
Aspidiotus  aurantii  of  Maskell^  and  which  is  the  same  scale  as  that 
found  throughout  the  Santa  Ana  Valley.  This  scale  was  introduced 
into  Los  Angeles  County  on  some  orange  trees  imported  from  Australia, 
and  which  were  planted  at  the  old  Kellar  homestead,  on  Alameda  Street. 
It  was  introduced  into  the  Santa  Ana  Valley  on  some  orange  trees  also 
imported  from  Australia,  which  were  planted  in  the  Huntington  orchard 
at  Orange.  From  those  trees  this  scale  spread.  In  San  Gabriel  a  scale 
insect  made  its  appearance  on  some  trees  that  were  also  imported  from 
Australia  and  planted  in  the  Rose  orchard.  At  that  time  orange  and 
lemon  trees  were  only  imported  from  Australia. 

My  attention  was  called  to  this  latter  scale  after  it  began  to  make  its 
presence  felt.  Upon  examination  I  concluded  it  was  a  different  insect 
from  the  Santa  Ana  Valley  variety.  In  1880  I  communicated  these 
facts  to  Mr.  Alexander  Craw,  of  Los  Angeles,  a  very  careful  entomologist, 
who  visited  the  orchard  and  fully  agreed  with  me  in  my  conclusions. 
In  1881  the  late  Mr.  Cooke,  then  Horticultural  Officer,  visited  Los  An- 
geles, and  I  took  him  to  San  Gabriel,  and  after  careful  examination  he 
also  pronounced  it  different  from  the  Santa  Ana  Valley  scale. 

It  has  been  said  that  "there  may  be  two  forms  of  the  same  insect." 
If  this  be  true,  why  are  their  attacks  on  the  tree  so  different?  Mr.  Klee, 
in  his  report  as  Inspector  of  Fruit  Pests  (Biennial  Reports  State  Board 
of  Horticulture,  1885-6  and  1887-8),  mentions  the  fact  that  the  two  in- 
sects are  different,  but  described  the  one  prevalent  throughout  the  Santa 
Ana  Valley  and  Los  Angeles  City  as  an  "Australian  type,"  and  the  one 
prevalent  throughout  the  San  Gabriel  Valley  as  a  "  Japanese  type." 
The  trees  that  arrive  from  Japan  are  generally  infested  by  this  latter 
species,  but  previous  to  1880  no  orange  trees  were  ever  imported  from 
Japan.  The  trees  upon  which  both  of  these  scales  came  were  imported 
direct  from  Australia,  and  beyond  this  we  know  but  little;  but  all  indi- 
cations point  towards  Australia  as  being  the  home  of  both  these  scales. 

In  1880  I  had  the  management  of  a  large  orange  grove  in  Orange, 
where  I  carried  on  a  series  of  experiments  covering  a  period  of  three 
years.  In  1883  I  moved  to  San  Gabriel,  where  I  carried  on  a  series  of 
experiments  covering  a  period  of  two  years.  I  was  thus  able  to  notice 
the  difference  between  the  two  insects. 


—  14  — 

DEDUCTIONS. 

From  observations  made,  I  feel  satisfied  that  there  are  no  ''two  forms," 
but  that  the  red  scale  found  throughout  the  Santa  Ana  Valley  and  the 
red  scale  found  in  the  San  Gabriel  Valley  are  two  different  and  distinct 
insects.  Why?  First,  because  the  red  scale  that  is  found  throughout  the 
Santa  Ana  Valley  attacks  the  limbs,  leaves,  fruit,  and  the  trunk  of  the 
trees.  The  one  at  San  Gabriel  only  attacks  the  leaves  and  the  fruit.  Sec- 
ondly, in  the  former  the  limbs  die  back;  in  the  latter  they  do  not,  as  the 
former  covers  the  bark  of  the  trunk  and  limbs  thickly,  and  the  latter  only 
attacks  the  leaves  and  the  fruit.  Thirdly,  the  color  of  the  scale  of  the 
former  is  vermilion  red;  the  color  of  the  latter,  dirty  yellow,  and  much 
smaller.  The  young  scale  of  the  former,  as  soon  as  a  covering  begins  to 
form  over  the  insect,  is  also  of  a  vermilion  red,  while  that  of  the  latter 
does  not  differ  from  the  color  of  the  mature  scale. 


PARASITES   AND   BENEFICIAL  INSECTS. 

Several  parasites  and  beneficial  insects  have  been  introduced  into 
California  from  the  Eastern  and  Southern  States,  and  are  now  being 
propagated  at  three  difterent  stations  of  the  Board.  Very  soon  their 
merits  will  be  known,  and,  if  satisfactory,  they  will  be  distributed 
throughout  the  State.  All  parasites  and  predaceous  insects  arrived  in 
very  good  condition.  Colonel  J.  R.  Dobbins,  of  San  Gabriel,  who  received 
the  first  colonies,  under  date  of  May  twenty-seventh  writes:  "Your 
several  letters  from  Florida,  Washington,  and  New  York  were  duly 
received,  as  also  the  box  containing  the  beetles  in  fine  order.  I  did  not 
disturb  them,  but  merely  took  the  cover  from,  the  box  and  fastened  it 
(the  box)  among  the  foliage  of  the  tree,  just  as  I  did  last  year  with  the 
Vedalia  colonies.  I  covered  two  medium  sized  trees  with  cheesecloth 
stretched  over  a  wooden  frame,  and,  as  suggested  in  yours,  gave  an 
entire  tree  to  each  variety.  Each  tree  was  more  or  less  infested  with 
red  and  black  scale,  and  some  aphis.  I  have  looked  into  these  cover- 
ings several  times,  but  it  is  much  too  soon  to  expect  any  development. 
I  had  the  first  lot  of  Vedalia  nearly  two  months  before  any  increase  or 
work  was  manifest,  and  shall  not  look  for  anything  better  in  connection 
with  those  you  sent  me.  They  have  been  well  handled,  protected,  and 
cared  for,  and  we  must  now  await  the  pleasure  of  dame  Nature.  My 
opinion  is  that  no  one  can  form  any  intelligent  ideas  as  to  what  may  be 
the  outcome  of  the  experiment  until  sufficient  time  has  elapsed  for  them 
to  increase  and  multiply.  If  they  do  that,  we  shall  know  to  a  certainty 
that  they  have  found  something  to  eat  and  to  sustain  themselves  upon, 
and  measures  can  then  be  taken  to  learn  of  what  their  diet  may  con- 
sist." 

It  had  been  reported  that  the  Australian  lady  bird  ( Vedalia  cardi- 
nalis)  had  died  out,  and  it  looked  very  much  that  way,  from  the  fact 
that  none  could  be  found  until  last  week  (about  June  first),  when  sev- 
eral thousand  were  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  State  from  one  of  the 
stations  of  this  Board.  Colonel  Dobbins,  under  date  of  June  first, 
advises  the  Board  as  follows:  "Two  boxes  of  Vedalia  arrived — one  on 
Saturday,  the  other  on  Sunday — and  they  were  in  good  shape..  One 
colony  I  located  in  my  own  neighborhood,  and  put  the  other  at  Sunny 


—  15 


Slope.     You  need  not  send  any  more  just  at  present,  for  if  these  three 
colonies  do  well  this  valley  will  soon  be  well  supplied." 


FERTILIZING    AND    FERTILIZERS— HOW    TO    COMPOUND 

FORMULAS. 

Having  mentioned  the  use  of  fertilizers  and  their  wonderful  effect 
upon  plant  life,  I  deem  it  but  just  to  describe  the  different  elements 
which  are  the  most  essential  to  plant  growth,  together  with  the  best 
methods  .of  compounding  them,  although  most  of  our  soils  possess  the 
desired  elements  for  plant  growth. 

POTASH. 

Potash  is  the  element  potassium  combined  with  oxygen — "  potassium 
oxide,"  it  is  called  by  the  agricultural  chemists.  Potassium  itself  is 
but  a  curiosity  of  the  laboratory,  for  it  can  be  kept  pure  only  by 
excluding  all  air,  and  is  therefore  only  to  be  found  in  the  bottle  of  the 
chemist.  The  name  "  potash  "  was  given  it  because  it  was  made  in  iron 
pots  from  ashes. 

Potash  is  a  most  caustic,  biting  alkali,  dissolving  and  decomposing 
all  organic  structures  it  comes  in  contact  with.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
powerful  bases;  in  other  words,  it  is  a  vigorous,  unprincipled  chemical 
thief,  seizing  upon  and  absorbing  into  itself  the  acids  it  finds  combined 
with  various  saline  compounds.  Pure  water  could  not  dissolve  the 
potash  as  it  exists  in  the  particles  of  feldspar  and  mica  that  are  found 
in  the  soil;  but,  taking  carbonic  acid  from  the  air,  it  has  the  power  of 
dissolving  the  silicate  of  potash,  leaving  the  quartz  and  alumina  to  form 
the  clays.  Caustic  lime  also  has  this  power.  The  silica,  combined  with 
the  potash,  and  marrying  the  lime,  sets  the  potash  free.  In  the  vege- 
table kingdom  it  is  held  by  plants  while  in  the  process  of  growth,  in  a 
soluble  state,  combined  with  oxalic,  tartaric,  silicic,  and  sulphuric  acids. 
When  wood  is  burned,  these  acids  are  decomposed;  and,  the  potash  com- 
bining with  carbonic  acid,  we  have  the  common  form  of  carbonate  of 
potash.  Potash  is  not  only  one  of  the  three  essentials  for  all  plant 
growth,  but  it  is  also  found  in  the  fruits,  vegetables,  and  grains. 

HUMUS. 

There  is  a  value  in  barn  manure,  in  addition  to  its  fertilizing  prop- 
erties. Its  bulk  has  a  mechanical  effect  on  the  soil,  improving  heavy 
soils  and  lightening  the  texture  of  all  soils — a  fact  of  especial  value  to 
market  gardeners  in  their  early  crops.  By  its  partial  decomposition,  it 
adds  to  the  mass  of  dark  brown  earth  which  we  so  especially  notice  in 
old  gardens,  and  which  goes  under  the  name  of  humus.  Humus  is 
dead  vegetable  and  animal  matter  in  process  of  decay.  In  good  soil, 
there  is,  in  a  latent  condition,  potash,  phosphoric  acid,  and  lime.  Car- 
bonic acid  changes  these  into  plant  food.  Now,  humus,  by  its  decay, 
develops  carbonic  acid,  and  so  brings  about  the  decomposition  of  this 
latent  food.  Wet  weather  favors  this  action.  That  carbonic  acid  has 
this  power  to  set  free  plant  food  in  the  soil  has  been  proved  by  the 
experiments  of  Professor  Stockhardt.     Crops  take  up  only  a  small  por- 


—  16  — 

tion  of  the  fertilizers  applied  before  the  nutrient  substances  they  contain 
become  insoluble.  The  humus  keeps  them  in  a  soluble  condition,  which 
is  an  argument  for  the  use  of  barn  manure,  or  the  plowing  under  of 
weeds  or  green  crops,  in  connection  with  the  use  of  fertilizers.  It  acts 
as  a  sponge  to  absorb  and  hold  moisture  in  low,  black  soils,  which  are 
made  up  of  dead  vegetable  matter  in  a  state  of  semi-decay,  halfway 
towards  coal — a  carbonaceous  mass  of  stems,  roots,  and  leaves.  Burned, 
it  makes  an  ashes  red,  from  the  presence  of  iron,  having  but  one  sixth 
the  potash  to  be  found  in  hard-wood  ashes.  The  trouble  is,  that  when 
dry  it  takes  up  water  very  slowly,  and  it  takes  therefore  a  good  deal  of 
rain  to  moisten  it;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  when  wet  it  keeps  wet  and 
cold  too  long  for  the  health  of  vegetation.  Without  draining,  manure 
is  a  waste  on  such  soils. 

Humus*  holds  a  great  store  of  carbonic  acid,  which  decomposes  the 
minerals  in  the  soil,  setting  free  potash  and  phosphoric  acid.  It  also 
holds  latent  nitrogen,  sometimes  as  high  as  3  per  cent,  which  is  six 
times  as  much  as  in  average  stable  manure.  This  is  made  plant  food 
by  the  application  of  lime  or  carbonate  of  potash. 

Humus  is  not  in  itself  plant  food.  It  is  not  necessary  for  the  yield 
of  heavy  crops. 

PHOSPHORIC   ACID. 

This,  the  third  substance  in  the  three  components  of  a  complete  fertil- 
izer, is  composed  of  the  element  phosphorus,  combined  with  the  gas 
oxygen.  The  four  great  resources  for  phosphoric  acid  are  the  mineral 
called  apatite,  which  contains  92  per  cent  of  phosphate  of  lime,  and  is 
believed  by  some  chemists  to  be  the  original  source  in  nature  from 
which  phosphate  of  lime  is  derived;  the  phosphatic  guanos,  which  are 
the  product  of  sea  fowls,  from  which  the  ammonia  has  been  washed  out 
by  the  rain;  the  bones  of  all  animals,  and  the  mineral  phosphate  rocks, 
which  are  the  remains  of  ancient  marine  animals. 

BARN    MANURE. 

Its  Composition  and  Fertilizing  Properties. 

The  latest  analysis  made  of  fresh  barnyard  manure  proved  to  contain 
the  following  kind  and  quantity  of  elements: 

Water 71.3 

Nitrogen 0.5 

Silica  and  insoluble  matter 10,5 

Alumina  and  oxide  of  iron 0.7 

Lime 0.5 

Potash 1 0.4 

Soda 0.1 

Phosphoric  acid 0.5 

Chlorine 0.1 

In  about  4,500  pounds  of  fresh  stable  manure  we  should  have  in  it 
3,208  pounds  of  water,  22-|  pounds  of  nitrogen,  472-|  pounds  of  silica, 
31  "I  pounds  of  alumina  of  iron,  22-^  pounds  of  lime,  13-|  pounds  of  mag- 
nesia, 18  pounds  of  potash,  4-|  pounds  of  soda,  4-J  pounds  of  sulphuric 
acid,  22^  pounds  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  4-|  pounds  of  chlorine.  By  the 
composition  given  it  will  be  noticed  that  bulk  is  not  what  is  necessary, 

*  Professor  Gregory — "How  to  Compound  Fertilizers." 


—  17  — 

but  instead  of  bulk  the  proper  elements  as  fertilizers  in  a  concentrated 
form  are  more  valuable  as  plant  food  than  many  manures  and  many  so 
called  ''  commercial  fertilizers  "  a  hundred  times  as  bulky.  Fertilizers 
in  some  form  can  be  made  to  last  like  barnyard  manure,  and  feed  several 
successive  crops  with  a  single  application.  For  instance,  in  ashes  and 
bone  we  have  all  the  elements  for  a  complete  manure,  when  all  that  is 
required  is  to  apply  an  extra  quantity  of  ashes  and  a  portion  of  the  bone 
in  a  coarse  state.  Ashes  are  always  enduring  in  their  effect,  and  the 
coarser  bone  will  be  years  in  decaying  and  setting  free  nitrogen  and  phos- 
phoric acid.  To  continually  apply  but  a  single  one  of  the  three  elements 
which  enter  into  the  complete  manure,  and  especially  if  that  one  should 
be  nitrogen,  and  for  a  series  of  years  be  in  marked  excess  of  the  other 
two,  would,  in  the  end,  sooner  .or  later,  prove  that  the  conclusions  often 
advanced  are  correct,  however  faulty  they  might  have  been  in  their  rea- 
soning. The  fact  that  the  one  of  the  three  elements,  nitrogen,  potash, 
or  phosphoric  acid,  of  which  the  soil  has  the  least,  and  which  has  been 
repeatedly  proven,  will  always  be  the  measure  of  the  crop.  A  hundred 
pounds  of  potash  applied  would  not  give  a  larger  yield  than  five  pounds 
(and  so  of  the  other  two  elements),  if  there  is  not  a  proportionate  in- 
crease of  the  other  elements. 

"  The  right  way  is  to  make  the  most  and  best  manure  that  is  practi- 
cable upon  the  farm,  and  piece  out  with  such  commercial  fertilizers  as 
experiments  and  experience  prove  profitable.  At  the  same  time  there 
are  many  cases,  especially  near  cities,  where  everything  depends  upon 
getting  the  largest  and  best  (and  earliest)  yield,  where  the  more  exclu- 
sive use  of  chemical  fertilizers  is  advisable."  * 

Artificial  fertilizers  are,  of  course,  much  more  cheaply  transported, 
and  unlike  barn  manure  they  do  not  carry  with  them^  seeds  of  weeds 
into  the  soil,  and  as  they  contain  the  fertilizing  elements  in  so  condensed 
a  form  the  whole  handling  of  them  becomes  much  cheaper,  where  they 
can  be  obtained  from  reliable  sources. 

"  Fertilizers  rich  in  ammonia,  Peruvian  guano,  sulphate  of  ammonia, 
etc.,  should  be  applied  a  little  at  a  time  and  often."  f 

Clayey  soils  do  not  as  a  rule  need  so  much  potash  or  nitrogen  as 
phosphoric  acid.  Nitrogen  tends  to  promote  leaf  growth.  Fertilizers 
applied  to  poor  land  produce  more  effect  than  when  applied  to  rich  land. 
If  the  bone  in  the  soil  does  not  all  decompose  the  first  year,  the  nitrogen 
contained  in  it  goes  over  with  it  and  is  not  lost.  If  but  one  of  the  ele- 
ments is  to  be  used  it  should  by  all  means  be  bone,  and  the  finer  the 
bone  and  the  finer  and  drier  the  fertilizer  the  more  valuable  it  is.  When 
the  animal  matter  in  bone  decays  the  phosphoric  acid  in  the  bone  is  in 
a  reverted  condition. 

BONES. 

The  bones  of  land  animals  are  composed  of  the  following  elements: 

Gelatine,  fat,  and  water  ------ .- "     a^q 

Phosphate  of  lime,  with  a  httle  magnesia -----     *o.u 

Carbonate  of  lime 2q 

Potash  and  soda '_ 

100.0 


^Savs  Professor  Atwatjer 
At^> 
!gro 
was 

2h 


*Bavs  rroiessor  Aiwauei.  ^^ 

No™ 'Xtrower'shou^d  .fottoget  that  in  using  potash  or  phosphoric  acid  in  any 
fofmU'^ver  wasfes  in  the  soil  to  any  extent,  and  one  application  will  last  several  years. 


—  18  — 

The  gelatine  contains  from  3  to  5  per  cent  of  nitrogen,  and  the  phos- 
phate of  lime  (or  bone  phosphate)  from  18  to  23  per  cent  of  phosphoric 
acid.  Bones  are  brought  to  the  fertilizer  manufacturer  as  the  waste  of 
the  slaughter-house  or  butcher  shops.  Where  they  have  been  exposed 
to  the  action  of  the  elements  bones  are  found  to  have  lost  more  or  less 
of  their  gelatine,  and  hence  are  not  so  rich  in  nitrogen.  The  methods 
of  preparing  bones  for  plant  food  are  numerous.  By  one  method  the 
gelatine  is  saved,  and  by  the  other  lost.  To  make  the  phosphoric  in 
this  fully  soluble,  the  bones  must  be  first  treated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
though  the  results  from  burning  the  bones  are  to  reduce  the  particles  to 
so  fine  a  state  as  to  make  them  more  or  less  available  without  the  use 
of  acid. 

BONE    MEAL. 

This  substance  is  made  by  cracking  up  and  grinding  dry  bones.  These 
contain,  as  materials  valuable  for  fertilizers,  phosphate  of  lime  and  cer- 
tain complex  substances  containing  nitrogen.  The  phosphate  is  the 
chief  constituent;  it  forms  the  frames  of  the  bones,  and  is  what  might 
be  called  the  mineral  portion  of  the  same.  The  other  plant  food  con- 
tained in  bones  belongs  to  that  class  of  matter  from  which  the  plant 
obtains  the  material  necessary  for  building — the  so  called  albuminoid 
substance,  such  as  the  gluten  of  wheat,  and  the  legumin  of  the  pea,  to 
which  those  substances  owe  their  nourishing  and  flesh-forming  qual- 
ities. The  more  finely  divided  a  fertilizer  is  the  more  valuable  it  is,  on 
account  of  the  greater  readiness  with  which  it  goes  into  solution.  Hence, 
in  determining  the  value  of  a  fertilizer,  the  mechanical  analysis  is  of 
considerable  assistance. 

MANUFACTURING    SUPERPHOSPHATE. 

In  the  manufacture  of  superphosphate.  Professor  Nichols  recommends 
the  following  plan:  Take  a  plank  box  four  feet  square  and  one  foot  deep. 
This  may  be  simply  water  tight,  and  if  so  there  must  be  no  nails  that 
the  acid  can  reach,  for  it  will  eat  them  out  and  so  make  a  leak,  or  it 
may  be  lined  with  lead,  all  soldering  being  done  with  lead  solder.  The 
box  will  be  large  enough  to  take  a  carboy  of  sulphuric  acid  with  the 
necessary  quantity  of  phosphate  material  and  water  to  make  about  a 
quarter  of  a  ton  of  superphosphate.  If  finely  ground  bone  be  used, 
the  result  following  will  be  a  pasty  mass,  needing  mixing  with  muck  or 
other  dry  material  to  get  it  in  good  mechanical  condition  for  use.  If, 
instead  of  bone,  bone  black  is  used,  the  result  will  be  a  dry  mass  easily 
handled.  To  make  superphosphate,  a  carboy  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  of  sulphuric  acid  or  oil  of  vitriol  (60  degrees),  three  hundred 
and  eight  pounds  of  bone  black,  and  ten  gallons  of  water  are  required. 
Having  first  donned  old  clothes,  and  having  at  hand  a  little  saleratus 
or  some  alkali,  ready  to  rub  on  any  spot  should  by  chance  a  drop 
spatter  (for  where  it  touches  if  not  immediately  neutralized  it  will  char 
like  fire),  he  sure  to  first  pour  in  the  water,  and  then  the  acid;  next, 
slowly  add  the  bone,  stirring  it  all  the  while  with  an  old  hoe  of  but 
little  value.  There  will  be  a  great  commotion,  a  great  boiling,  frothing, 
and  foaming,  and  throwing  off  of  heat  with  a  suffocating  vapor.  Because 
of  the  suffocating  vapor,  it  is  better  to  do  the  work  in  the  open  air  or 
under  an  open  shed. 


—  19  — 

.o^jf^-^^''  J^^^^^^  i^  his  report  (Connecticut  Experiment  Station, 
1881)  gives  two  methods;  the  one  which  he  considers  best  adapted  for 
domestic  use  of  any  of  the  processes  involving  the  use  of  oil  of  vitriol 
IS  as  follows:  Take  one  hundred  pounds  of  ground  bone,  such  as  con- 
tains 20  to  50  per  cent,  more  or  less,  of  material  coarser  than  would  pass 
through  a  sieve,  having  a  one-half  inch  mesh,  twenty-five  pounds  of  oil 
of  vitriol,  and  six  quarts  of  water.  Separate  the  bone  by  sifting  into 
two,  or  if  the  proportion  of  coarse  bone  is  large,  into  three  parts,  using 
sieves  of  one-sixteenth  and  one-eighth  inch  mesh.  Mix  the  coarser  part 
of  the  bone  m  a  cast-iron  or  lead-lined  vessel  with  the  oil  of  vitriol. 
When  the  bone  is  thoroughly  wet  with  the  strong  acid  add  the  water, 
stirring  and  mixing  well.  The  addition  of  the  water  to  the  acid  develops 
a  large  amount  of  heat,  which  favors  the  action.  Let  stand,  with  occa- 
sional stirring,  for  twenty-four  hours,  or  until  the  coarser  fragments  of 
bone  are  quite  soft,  then  three  grades  of  bone  are  used.  Work  in  the 
next  coarser  bone  and  let  stand  another  day  or  two,  until  the  acid  has 
softened  all  the  coarse  bone,  or  has  spent  its  action;  finally  dry  off  the 
mass  by  mixing  well  with  the  jBinest  bone. 

In  carrying  out  this  process,  the  quantity  of  oil  of  vitriol  can  be  varied 
somewhat;  increased  a  few  pounds  if  the  bone  has  a  large  proportion  of 
coarse  fragments,  or  diminished  if  it  is  fine. 

Professor  Stockhardt,  the  celebrated  agricultural  chemist,  recommends 
the  following  process:  From  a  mixture  of  sifted  wood  or  coal  ashes  and 
earth  thrown  upon  a  barn  or  shed  floor  from  a  circular  wall  so  as  to 
inclose  a  pit  capable  of  containing  one  hundred  weight  of  ground  bone, 
then  make  the  surrounding  wall  of  ashes  so  firm  as  not  to  yield  by  being 
trodden  on;  sift  off  the  finer  part  of  the  bone  and  set  it  aside;  throw  the 
coarser  part  into  the  cavity  and  sprinkle  it,  during  continued  stirring, 
with  three  quarts  of  water,  until  the  whole  is  uniformly  moistened;  add 
gradually  eleven  pounds  of  oil  of  vitriol  of  60  degrees  strength,  the  agi- 
tation of  the  shovel  being  continued.  A  brisk  eftervescence  of  the  mass 
will  ensue,  which  will  not,  however,  rise  above  the  margin  of  the  pit  if 
the  acid  is  poured  on  in  separate  small  quantities.  After  twenty-four 
hours  sprinkle  again  with  three  quarts  of  water,  add  the  same  quan- 
tity of  sulphuric  acid  as  before,  with  the  same  brisk  shoveling  of  the 
mass,  and  leave  the  substance  to  act  for  another  twenty -four  hours  upon 
each  other;  then  intermix  the  fine  bone  previously  sifted  off,  and  finally 
shovel  the  ashes  and  the  earth  of  the  pit  into  the  decomposed  bone  until 
they  are  all  uniformly  mixed  together. 

It  wdll  be  noticed  that  the  last  two  processes  use  half  or  less  than 
half  the  usual  quantity  of  acid  allowed  for  a  hundred  pounds  of  bone. 
The  phosphoric  acid  in  finely  ground  bone  can  also  be  made  available 
by  the  caustic  action  of  the  potash  in  unleached  wood  ashes. 

Professor  Nichols  recommends  the  following  method:  Take  one  barrel 
rawbone  flour,  three  barrels  dry  unleached  wood  ashes,  ninety  pounds 
gypsum,  and  ten  gallons  of  water;  make  a  heap  of  the  solid  materials 
on  the  barn  floor,  and  add  the  water,  stirring  constantly  with  a  hoe. 
The  result  is  perfect  plant  food,  containing  all  the  elements  plants  re-' 
quire  in  about  the  same  proportions. 

Professor  Pooling  advises  a  little  different  method  and  proportions. 
He  recommends  the  following:  Mix  five  barrels  of  finely  ground  bone 
with  five  barrels  of  unleached  hard-wood  ashes,  and  add  water  sufficient 
to  moisten  the  mass,  and  then  cover  with  loam.     Leave  the  heap  three 


— .  20  — 

weeks,  adding  a  little  water,  if  it,  on  examination,  appears  to  be  nearly 
dry. 

WOOD   ASHES. 

Wood  ashes  are  our  great  home  source  for  potash.  These  are  brought 
into  the  market  from  several  sources.  "  Wood  ashes,"  says  Professor 
Goessimann,  "have  an  agricultural  value  much  above  their  chemical 
value."  Professor  Gregory  adds  that  "  the  principal  reason  of  this  is 
that  they  contain  not  only  potash  but  all  the  elements  of  plant  food 
except  nitrogen,  and  these  in  just  the  same  proportion  as  they  exist  in 
nature,  with  the  additional  advantage  of  having  them  in  a  very  fine 
state  of  subdivision." 

The  wood  of  different  trees  differ  not  only  in  the  proportion  of  potash, 
lime,  and  phosphoric  acid  in  their  ashes,  but  also  in  the  quantity  of 
their  ashes  in  equal  quantities  by  measure  of  wood. 

COAL    ASHES. 

Coal  ashes  contain  no  appreciable  amount  of  potash;  the  chief  ingre- 
dient is  silica.  They  contain  also  some  lime  and  magnesia.  The  trace 
of  potash  comes  from  the  wood  used  in  kindling  fires,  and  the  coal  itself. 
Coal  ashes  prove  of  but  little  value  on  most  soils,  beyond  making  heavy 
soils  more  open  and  supplying  silica  to  land  of  a  much  like  character, 
still  there  is  considerable  of  value  in  them  when  used  in  connection  with 
manure. 


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SB355 
Lelong,  B.M.  L4 

Fruit  culture. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

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